FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Youth Poetry Assembly Creates Forum for Students to Discuss Poetry and Youth Culture
Poetry Out Loud, National Student Poets Program and poetry slam/spoken word youth programs convene at Chicago’s Poetry Foundation
March 18, 2015
CHICAGO -- On April 2-3, the Poetry Foundation’s Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Competition champions, the 2014 Class of National Student Poets, and representatives of poetry slam and spoken word organizations from around the country will convene to examine and contemplate issues around the role of poetry in youth culture. In this two-day assembly, young poets, established poets, and poetry leaders will present a series of public and private performances, seminars, and workshops to investigate how poetry both informs and transforms the lives of students.
“It is crazy how I can be weary and afraid, pick up a poem, and find myself empowered and moved to continue living just as I am, human,” says Anita Norman, 2014 Poetry Out Loud: National Student Recitation Competition champion. “We have the power to write someone’s peace into existence, to write dreams until they float off the page and into reality. Words do that. Expression in that way has healed so many people and will continue to do so if we stay open to the power of communication. We’ve got to stay connected to make any sort of difference in the world. Poetry is a vehicle of change.”
The current class of National Student Poets, the nation’s highest honor for youth poets presenting original works, will be in attendance to share their poems. Each year, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, appoints five student poets for one year of service as literary ambassadors. At the White House ceremony last September, First Lady Michelle Obama told the new Class of 2014, “[W]e started this program because we wanted to nurture the passion and creativity of our young people. And we wanted to help them engage with their communities, and we wanted to do our part to share the gifts and wonders that poetry offers with a new generation.”
Poetry slam and spoken word have become more prominent in literary culture and several youth performance poetry organizations will contribute to the discussion. Currently confirmed to attend this seminar are Young Chicago Authors andPhiladelphia Youth Poetry Movement. Other organizations are expected to participate.
"We are excited that all these terrific poetry and arts organizations will be coming together in Chicago for a youth, poetry, and education summit," said Poetry Foundation President, Robert Polito. "But we are even more excited about the students themselves. I know of no stronger ambassadors for poetry than these gifted young people."
Over the course of the two day assembly, private programs for students feature a master class with poet Terrance Hayes, a Q&A with Poetry magazine editor Don Share and a panel discussion with leaders in the poetry and cultural community including Lisa New, Professor of English at Harvard University; Jen Benka, Executive Director of the American Academy of Poets; Alice Quinn, Executive Director of the Poetry Society of America; and representatives of the President’s Committee, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Library of Congress.
Public Programs
What: Student poetry performances by state champions of Poetry Out Loud, the current class of National Student Poets, and poetry slam/spoken word poets
When: Thursday, April 2 at 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM, and 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Where: The Poetry Foundation, 61 W. Superior, Chicago
More Info: Free and open to the public. 312.799.7070 or visit our website at poetryfoundation.org
Hashtag: #youthpoetryleaders
Annually, five students are selected for one year of service as literary ambassadors, each representing a different geographic region of the country. By elevating and showcasing their work for a national audience, the program strives to inspire other young people to achieve excellence in their own creative endeavors and promote the essential role of writing and the arts in academic and personal success.
The National Student Poets Program reflects the national imprimatur of the President’s Committee on Arts and the Humanities and its Honorary Chairman, First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as the Administration’s commitment to arts and humanities education. It connects the National Student Poets with audiences and resources in their communities through the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ community-based network of libraries and museums and builds upon the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers’ long-standing work with educators and creative teens through the prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
About Poetry Out Loud
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with U.S. state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.
About the Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative literary prizes and programs. For more information, please visit poetryfoundation.org.
Follow the Poetry Foundation and Poetry on Facebook at facebook.com/poetryfoundation or on Twitter @PoetryFound.
POETRY FOUNDATION | 61 W. Superior Street | Chicago, IL 60654 | 312.787.7070
Media contact:
Elizabeth Burke-Dain, Marketing and Media Director, eburkedain@poetryfoundation.org, 312.799.8016
Polly Faust, Media Assistant, pfaust@poetryfoundation.org,
“It is crazy how I can be weary and afraid, pick up a poem, and find myself empowered and moved to continue living just as I am, human,” says Anita Norman, 2014 Poetry Out Loud: National Student Recitation Competition champion. “We have the power to write someone’s peace into existence, to write dreams until they float off the page and into reality. Words do that. Expression in that way has healed so many people and will continue to do so if we stay open to the power of communication. We’ve got to stay connected to make any sort of difference in the world. Poetry is a vehicle of change.”
The current class of National Student Poets, the nation’s highest honor for youth poets presenting original works, will be in attendance to share their poems. Each year, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, appoints five student poets for one year of service as literary ambassadors. At the White House ceremony last September, First Lady Michelle Obama told the new Class of 2014, “[W]e started this program because we wanted to nurture the passion and creativity of our young people. And we wanted to help them engage with their communities, and we wanted to do our part to share the gifts and wonders that poetry offers with a new generation.”
Poetry slam and spoken word have become more prominent in literary culture and several youth performance poetry organizations will contribute to the discussion. Currently confirmed to attend this seminar are Young Chicago Authors andPhiladelphia Youth Poetry Movement. Other organizations are expected to participate.
"We are excited that all these terrific poetry and arts organizations will be coming together in Chicago for a youth, poetry, and education summit," said Poetry Foundation President, Robert Polito. "But we are even more excited about the students themselves. I know of no stronger ambassadors for poetry than these gifted young people."
Over the course of the two day assembly, private programs for students feature a master class with poet Terrance Hayes, a Q&A with Poetry magazine editor Don Share and a panel discussion with leaders in the poetry and cultural community including Lisa New, Professor of English at Harvard University; Jen Benka, Executive Director of the American Academy of Poets; Alice Quinn, Executive Director of the Poetry Society of America; and representatives of the President’s Committee, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Library of Congress.
Public Programs
What: Student poetry performances by state champions of Poetry Out Loud, the current class of National Student Poets, and poetry slam/spoken word poets
When: Thursday, April 2 at 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM, and 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Where: The Poetry Foundation, 61 W. Superior, Chicago
More Info: Free and open to the public. 312.799.7070 or visit our website at poetryfoundation.org
Hashtag: #youthpoetryleaders
****
About the National Student Poets ProgramAnnually, five students are selected for one year of service as literary ambassadors, each representing a different geographic region of the country. By elevating and showcasing their work for a national audience, the program strives to inspire other young people to achieve excellence in their own creative endeavors and promote the essential role of writing and the arts in academic and personal success.
The National Student Poets Program reflects the national imprimatur of the President’s Committee on Arts and the Humanities and its Honorary Chairman, First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as the Administration’s commitment to arts and humanities education. It connects the National Student Poets with audiences and resources in their communities through the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ community-based network of libraries and museums and builds upon the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers’ long-standing work with educators and creative teens through the prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
About Poetry Out Loud
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with U.S. state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.
About the Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative literary prizes and programs. For more information, please visit poetryfoundation.org.
Follow the Poetry Foundation and Poetry on Facebook at facebook.com/poetryfoundation or on Twitter @PoetryFound.
POETRY FOUNDATION | 61 W. Superior Street | Chicago, IL 60654 | 312.787.7070
Media contact:
Elizabeth Burke-Dain, Marketing and Media Director, eburkedain@poetryfoundation.org, 312.799.8016
Polly Faust, Media Assistant, pfaust@poetryfoundation.org,
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